Bearing



' May 20, 1930. N BLE 1,759,412

Filed March 10, 1927 Patented May 20, 1930 WARREN NOBLE, or DETROIT,MICHIGAN BEARING Application, filed March 10, 1927. Serial No. 174,296.

This invention relates to bearings, more particularly thrustbearingsfwh'ere substantial friction or thrust oifers a high resistanceto initial movement of a rotary member of the bearing, and has foritsobject to provide a, Simple and expedient means which will operate toinitially relieve the frictional surfaces to an extentsuflicient tomaterially facilitate commencement of rotation ofthe movable element orelements of the bearing. Various mechanical methods have been suggestedfromvtime to time for overcoming thisref sistance toinitial movement ofa bearing eleement, and the present. invention has as an obj ecttheavoidance of such mechanical complications or auxiliarydevices, andthe effecting of the overcoming of the initial friction by hydraulicmeansadapted to relieve pressure of the'contacting bearing surfaces.

I It is well known that two surfaces pressed against; one another,however smooth, have" certain interlocking surface irregularitieswhichset up resistance against relative move ment, and such resistance may beovercome sufficiently to permit relative movement of the partstocommerce byvibrating one or other of the bearing elements, whereuponfriction therebetween is temporarily relieved and relati've movementpermitted. When such movement has been initiated the resistance tocontinued movement is much lower. The present invention, therefore, alsohas as an object a promoting of vibration in one or other, or both ofbearing elements by hydraulic means, for the purpose of permitting suchrelative movement of the member effected.

A further object is to utilizeas thevibrating means hydraulic fluid inthe form of lubricant, which will lubricate, or assist in thelubrication of, the bearing when relative movement of the members takesplace.

Still further objects or advantages subsidiary or incidental to theaforesaid objects, or'

resulting from the construction or operation of the invention as it maybe carried into effect, will become apparent as the said invention ishereinafter further disclosed.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may provide in a bearing,including a stationary and a rotary element supported by thestationaryelement, a duct or channel tween theopposed faces of thejtwoelements and supplied through a closed passage with oil, the'column-of-oil in said duct and passage a being closely confined andsubjected to the actionof a plunger or hammer operated by a cam at highspeed and, when rotation of the rotary elementis to be effected,effecting vibration of the plunger by the operation of said camwherebysuch vibration will be transmitted through said oil to theopposed members of the bearing and simultaneously set up a vibratorymovement in the said members,

said movement operatingiagainst said mem-,

bers in foppositedirections and temporarily relieving the frictiontherebetween, whereby rotationof the rotary member is facilitated. I

All of which is more particularly described andascertained hereinafter,by way of eX-' drawing, wherein j ample, having reference to theaccompanying Figure l is a, more or less, diagrammaticw sectionalelevation of a thrust bearing, em-

bodying the said invention; and n Figure 2 is a horizontal section ofthesame taken on the line 2 2f, Figure 1. j v

Similar characters of reference vindicate similar parts in both figuresof the drawing.

The bearingis indicated as including a stationarymember or housing 1against the s'urface Q, of which arotary member 3 abuts, the

said rotary member being 'inthis instance shown asftheend flange of-ashaft 4, and ac-1 commodated in a recess or oil well '5 inthe said;housing 1. I

The housing is provided with a cover-plate 6 having an inlet pipe 7throughwhichlubricatingoil maybe supplied to the said bearing forrunning purposes, when necessary,- I For starting purposes the face 2 ofthe stationarymemb'er 1 isprovided with an annular recess 8 in whichisa'ccommodated a channelled annulus'9 divided at 10,the channel thereofterminating short of the division point. This annulus is providedwherethe bearing m ember is divided as at 11 in". order toavoid leakages atsaid division 11 ensure continuity in the channel. .7

12 is aconduit' leading from an oil chamber 13 formed in a suitablecasing or extension and then pressure impulses.

' to permit such'motion to progress to an ex- 14 of the bearing, and'15is a plunger eutend-v ing into the said chamber and actuated by a cam16, which is rotated by any suitable means. The lift of this camis'quite small, but it is adapted tofoperate the plunger at highfrequency, and thecolumnof oil in the chamber 13 and duct 12 and therecess of the annulus '9 is intended to be solid, so that;

vibration of the plunger by the cam is transmitted to the surface. ofthe bearing member 3,'closing the open side of the channel ofthe saidannulus 9, and incidentallytransmitted in the opposite direction to thestationary member lof the bearing through Walls of the annulus. In otherW0rds,-theoil in the recess of the annulus is subjected to frequent highThis'ivibration maybeof such force and frequency that'it willefi'ectually over'come' thrust or friction resisting initialtmovement oftherotary element of the bearing, and it may be maintainedasufficientlength of time tent admitting the operation of the bearingat aneflicient speed at which its resistance to V movement isfvery much lowerthan its resistance ment. I 7

-A-ny suitable means may be employed for keeping the column of oilcomplete, so that vibration thereof willbe properly transmit ted to thebearing surfaces, and, as an exampleofsuch means, "an overflow. Well 13'is shown supplied with overflow" oil from the j bearing, this wellcommunicating, throughaf "duct'18 and check valve 19,'with the duct 12:for the supplying'of oil to the operating col'-" umn as such supply maybe required.

Thejhyd'raulic fluid or oil in the recess of the. annulus 9 forms ahydraulic gasket, and

the said hydraulic gasket,- the column of oil in the duct and-chamber 12and 13 together with the plunger'16 and its operating means, formahydraulic hammer'operating against the opposed faces of the members 1and'3.

This invention may be developed within' the scope of the followingclaims without sense, except as necessitated departing from theessential features of the said invention, and it is desiredthat'thespecification and drawing be read as being merely illustrative and notin a limiting What I claim is 1. Ina bearing, a stationary member, a

rotary member, said members having opposed thrust faces, and meanstransmitting vibra tion to one of said members to temporarily relievefrlction therebetwen.

2.1 1 a bearing, afstationary member, a

rotary member, said members having 0pposed thrust faces, and meansvibrating said members 1n oppositegdirections to relieve thrusttherebetween. I

3. .In a bearing, astationary member," a rotary memberfsaid membershaving op- 'tothe commencement of anymove by the prior art. 7

thrust faces, and a hydraulic hammer oper ating against the opposedfaces of said members' to set up .friction-relieving vibration therein.7

j 5. Ina bearing, a stationarymember, a romy member, said members havingopposed thrust faces, one of which is recessed to pro vide anoilchamber, a plunger confining oil within saidchamben and means forvibrating said plunger to transmit vibration through said members.

oil to the opposed faces of said i I 7 6. In a bearing, a stationarymember, a;

rotary member, said members having opposed thrust faces, a hydraulicgasket betweensaid faces, and means applying frequent high pressureimpulses to saidhydraulic gasket" to produce a hammering effect;

7. Ina bearing, a stationary membena rotary member, said members havingopposed thrust faces, a plunger confining a closed column of oil betweenthe faces of said membersand said plunger, and means applying frequent;high "pressure impulses of oil through said'plunger to produce a'hammering effect.

' 8. In a bearing, a 'stationary'member, a rotary member, saidmembershavlng opposed thrust faces, sald members' being provided with aspace betweensaidlfaces, means housing a column of'incomp ressible'fluid CQIII-i municating with and filling such space, and

vibrating means operating against aclosed V end of said column, wherebyvibrations are 1 transmitted-"through said column to the opposedfaces ofsaid bearing ating said vibrating means.

and meansoperk In testimony whereof I affix my signature; 7

WARREN NOBLE." 7

